During Friday’s free practice sessions in Monaco, Lewis Hamilton secured a position in the top two.
Lewis Hamilton has said that, while there are still “challenges” to navigate, he is “absolutely” feeling positive about his chances heading into qualifying in Monaco.
In Monte Carlo, the Mercedes driver emerged as the fastest in FP1 before securing the second position in FP2, trailing behind Charles Leclerc. The W15 showcased promising performance at the renowned street circuit, indicating its competitiveness.
Lewis Hamilton ‘really enjoying’ W15 feeling after positive Monaco practice
Hamilton took pole position at another high-downforce circuit in Hungary last season, and had been hopeful about Mercedes’ chances heading into the weekend, though the qualifying simulations he carried out put him above the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, as well as both McLarens on Friday.
While he admitted there is still work to be done, the seven-time World Champion spoke positively after a strong showing for himself and Mercedes around Monaco.
Hamilton expressed his thoughts about the day, saying, “Today has been a great day, undoubtedly the finest day we’ve experienced on the track,” during an interview with F1 TV after FP2.
In my opinion, the car seemed to exude a strong sense of positivity and sheer delight while being driven. The track itself was absolutely incredible, and the level of grip experienced was notably impressive.
In my opinion, there are still a few obstacles to overcome in terms of balance, but overall, it was showing promising strength.
More from the Monaco Grand Prix weekend so far
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Hamilton, similar to his peers, was intimately engaging with the barriers surrounding Monte Carlo from the early stages. When questioned about this, he remarked, “It’s sort of… I have a habit of doing that in Monaco, so I wasn’t taken aback.”
However, the truly surprising aspect was the level of grip and the car’s reaction in this particular situation.
The ride we just had was definitely more enjoyable compared to the previous two years, especially.
I’m unsure if we made any progress during the second session.
“We definitely need to focus on the long runs. There’s still a considerable amount of work left for us to tackle overnight to ensure our ability to complete the entire race.”
In light of the significance of qualifying and the challenging nature of overtaking at Monaco, Hamilton is determined to maintain the impressive one-lap speed demonstrated by Mercedes so far.
When questioned about his optimism for the crucial Saturday ahead, he responded confidently, stating, “Definitely, we must maintain that mindset. Our focus should be on enhancing our endurance and addressing the issue of tire wear.”
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